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Atomic Structure Quiz – Atoms, Nucleus, Protons, Neutrons & Electrons

Test your knowledge of atomic structure with 20 multiple-choice questions covering atoms, nucleus, protons, neutrons, electrons, atomic number, mass number and atomic neutrality.

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15 min
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  1. 1. All substances are made from _____

    • A. atoms
    • B. molecules
    • C. elements
    • D. compounds
    Show answer

    A. atoms

    All substances are made from atoms, which are the basic building blocks of matter.

  2. 2. Atoms are _____ to see with a microscope.

    • A. too small
    • B. too large
    • C. easy
    • D. very bright
    Show answer

    A. too small

    Atoms are extremely small and cannot be seen using an ordinary light microscope.

  3. 3. Atoms have a _____ (1 × 10⁻¹⁰ m).

    • A. radius of 0.1 millimetres
    • B. radius of about 0.1 nanometres
    • C. radius of 1 millimetre
    • D. radius of 10 nanometres
    Show answer

    B. radius of about 0.1 nanometres

    The typical radius of an atom is about 1 × 10⁻¹⁰ metres, which is approximately 0.1 nanometres.

  4. 4. The atom is _____ except for a small nucleus and even smaller electrons orbiting the nucleus.

    • A. mostly empty space
    • B. completely solid
    • C. mostly liquid
    • D. concentrated in the nucleus
    Show answer

    A. mostly empty space

    Most of an atom's volume is empty space surrounding the small nucleus.

  5. 5. The nuclear model of the atom has a _____

    • A. nucleus in the middle
    • B. large central electron
    • C. solid outer shell
    • D. neutron orbiting the nucleus
    Show answer

    A. nucleus in the middle

    The nuclear model describes an atom as having a small, dense nucleus at its centre.

  6. 6. _____ in electron shells

    • A. electrons orbit the nucleus
    • B. neutrons have a relative mass of 1
    • C. protons are found outside the atom
    • D. nuclei orbit electrons
    Show answer

    A. electrons orbit the nucleus

    Electrons occupy shells or energy levels around the nucleus.

  7. 7. The nucleus of an atom is very small; it is _____ (1 × 10⁻¹⁴ m).

    • A. 1/10000 of the radius of an atom
    • B. 1/20000 of the radius of an atom
    • C. 1/30000 of the radius of an atom
    • D. 1/40000 of the radius of an atom
    Show answer

    A. 1/10000 of the radius of an atom

    The nucleus is approximately 1/10,000 of the radius of an atom.

  8. 8. The nucleus _____

    • A. has a negative charge
    • B. has no charge
    • C. contains positive protons and is positively charged
    • D. contains only electrons
    Show answer

    C. contains positive protons and is positively charged

    The nucleus contains positively charged protons, while neutrons have no charge, making the nucleus positively charged overall.

  9. 9. _____ (charge of +1)

    • A. protons have a positive charge
    • B. electrons have a positive charge
    • C. neutrons have a positive charge
    • D. electrons orbit the nucleus
    Show answer

    A. protons have a positive charge

    A proton has a relative charge of +1.

  10. 10. _____ (charge of 0)

    • A. neutrons have no charge
    • B. protons have no charge
    • C. electrons have no charge
    • D. neutrons have a charge of +1
    Show answer

    A. neutrons have no charge

    Neutrons are electrically neutral and have a relative charge of 0.

  11. 11. The _____ because it contains positive protons.

    • A. nucleus is positively charged
    • B. electron is positively charged
    • C. atom is always negatively charged
    • D. neutron is positively charged
    Show answer

    A. nucleus is positively charged

    The nucleus contains positively charged protons, so the nucleus has an overall positive charge.

  12. 12. _____ (they have the same mass as neutrons)

    • A. Protons have a relative mass of 1
    • B. Electrons have a relative mass of 1
    • C. Protons have a relative charge of 0
    • D. Neutrons have a relative mass of 0
    Show answer

    A. Protons have a relative mass of 1

    Protons have a relative mass of approximately 1, the same as neutrons.

  13. 13. _____ (they have the same mass as protons).

    • A. Neutrons have a relative mass of 1
    • B. Neutrons have a relative mass of 0
    • C. Electrons have a relative mass of 1
    • D. Protons have a relative mass of 0
    Show answer

    A. Neutrons have a relative mass of 1

    Neutrons have a relative mass of approximately 1, similar to protons.

  14. 14. _____ (they have a tiny mass compared to a proton or neutron)

    • A. Electrons have a relative mass of 0
    • B. Electrons have a relative mass of 1
    • C. Protons have a relative mass of 0
    • D. Neutrons have a relative mass of 0
    Show answer

    A. Electrons have a relative mass of 0

    The relative mass of an electron is extremely small compared with a proton or neutron and is treated as approximately 0.

  15. 15. Electrons do not contribute to the _____

    • A. mass of the atom
    • B. charge of the atom
    • C. number of protons
    • D. atomic number
    Show answer

    A. mass of the atom

    Electrons have a tiny mass compared with protons and neutrons, so they contribute negligibly to the mass of an atom.

  16. 16. The mass of an atom is _____

    • A. concentrated in the nucleus
    • B. concentrated in the electron shells
    • C. equally distributed throughout the atom
    • D. found only in electrons
    Show answer

    A. concentrated in the nucleus

    Almost all of an atom's mass comes from its protons and neutrons, which are located in the nucleus.

  17. 17. _____ in electron shells

    • A. electrons orbit the nucleus
    • B. mass number
    • C. neutrons orbit the nucleus
    • D. protons orbit the nucleus
    Show answer

    A. electrons orbit the nucleus

    Electrons occupy electron shells around the nucleus.

  18. 18. _____ (charge of -1).

    • A. electrons have a negative charge
    • B. protons have a negative charge
    • C. neutrons have a negative charge
    • D. electrons have a positive charge
    Show answer

    A. electrons have a negative charge

    An electron has a relative charge of -1.

  19. 19. _____ (they do not have a charge overall because of the number of protons and electrons)

    • A. Atoms are neutral
    • B. Atoms are positively charged
    • C. Atoms are negatively charged
    • D. Atoms have no protons
    Show answer

    A. Atoms are neutral

    A neutral atom has equal numbers of positively charged protons and negatively charged electrons, so the charges cancel.

  20. 20. Atoms are neutral because they have the _____

    • A. same number of protons and electrons
    • B. same number of neutrons and electrons
    • C. same number of protons and neutrons
    • D. same number of nuclei and electrons
    Show answer

    A. same number of protons and electrons

    The positive charges of protons and negative charges of electrons cancel when their numbers are equal.